How to Make Decisions Without Needing 100% Certainty
Have you ever found yourself stuck between options, trying to work out which one is “best”?
I have many times found myself in this position.
Sometimes I wanted to know I was making the right choice.
Other times, I wanted to know I was getting the best value.
It could be about big things and small things… sometimes I felt like I was the most indecisive person in the world and I found it extremely frustrating being unable to make a decision, in good time.
In my thirties, I had to make a decision about my career and what I wanted to do next. And like most big decisions, there was no point where it suddenly felt clear and obvious.
I wasn’t 100% certain what was next, but the thing is, I was never going to be.
What actually mattered was this: could I live with the decision I was about to make?
can you live with the decision you’re about to make?
Are You Overthinking Your Choices?
Possibly.
If you’re going back and forth, weighing up the same options over and over, and getting nowhere, that’s overthinking, and it usually points to one thing: misalignment.
For example, you’re looking to buy a new home. You find a four-bedroom house. It’s beautiful, within budget, no work needed. On paper, it’s perfect, your dream house - yet you hesitate.
That hesitation is a sign. Is your gut telling you something that you’re not seeing? Potentially. You might be unsure because what you really want is a different location, but you’ve not admitted that yet. Your gut knows this - deep down what you want is to live in a specific location.
Buying a house is a big decision. It’s expensive. You don’t want to get it wrong. So instead of addressing the real issue - admitting what you truly want - you stay stuck in analysis.
Overthinking usually isn’t about the decision in front of you, it’s about what you’re not willing to admit yet.
Internal Conflict: The Real Sticking Point
Another common reason decisions feel impossible is internal conflict.
A part of you wants one thing. Another part wants safety.
For example, you’re trying to decide whether to continue or end a relationship. It’s an emotional process - there’s you to think about, but there’s also the other person. There may even be children. You’re juggling multiple needs and anticipated reactions. The part of you that wants safety is clinging on to the status quo - nothing changes, everything stays just as it is. It’s safe, it upsets no one. You don’t feel the pain of a break-up. But what about the part of you that wants to end it? This part is seeking something that’s missing - what are you missing?
It’s not that you’re incapable of deciding, it’s that choosing requires you to firstly face what you might lose and secondly, face the discomfort of what change means.
Why 100% Certainty Is a Dead End
Most people delay decisions because:
They don’t trust themselves
They’re scared of making the wrong choice
They’re avoiding discomfort
The delay keeps you in limbo because (spoiler alert"!) certainty rarely comes.
Big decisions don’t come with guarantees. But staying where you are because it’s familiar is still a choice, just a passive one.
How to Decide Without Needing Certainty
Stop asking “What’s the right decision?”
Instead, ask:
“When I imagine living with this decision, how do I want my body to feel day to day?”
Examples could include:
Calmer - relaxed jaw, dropped shoulders, gut settles
Energised - you feel a gentle forward pull, not adrenaline or panic
Grounded - feet feel steady, decisions feel simpler
Relieved - a soft exhale, like something you’ve been carrying is put down
What you don’t want to be feeling is:
Tight chest
Constant low-grade anxiety
Sunday-night dread
That braced, “pushing through” feeling
Mental noise that never quite switches off
Certainty lives in your head, but alignment shows up in your body - usually as less tension.
You Need Willingness To Choose
You don’t need certainty. It’s honesty, alignment, and the willingness to choose.
If you’re tired of going round in circles and want a practical way to make decisions you actually feel good about, this is exactly what I cover in my workshop:
Stop Overthinking: How to Make Decisions You Feel Good About
About Sabrina
Sabrina helps women at life’s crossroads who feel stuck and hesitant but eager for more. She helps them cut through the noise, untangle the overwhelm, and build the clarity and confidence to move forward with purpose.
Whether you’re unclear on what’s next or blocked from going after it, she blends deep mindset work with practical systems and structure to help her clients untangle what’s keeping them stuck so they can build momentum and bring their ideas to life.
A former charity professional turned movement and wellness entrepreneur, Sabrina draws on her background in fitness and physical therapy to bring a grounded, whole-person approach to transformation. She’s passionate about helping women stop overthinking, trust themselves, and take bold steps toward something that truly matters.
When she’s not coaching, she’s usually in the garden, hunting down great street food, or planning her next adventure.